Heaven's Not Enough
by IIII coAtL IIII
Summary: AU story containing the ByaRuki pairing. If you wish to read it, fine... if not, fine.  Changed to M rating for rather obvious reasons.
1. Chapter 1

**This chapter represents the first in many for this story which got developed around an idea I had for about 1 year but never wrote down. It is placed in an AU, but revealing more details would clasify as spoilers. Given that it is an AU, some things had to be different for the characters, but I still maintained their personality along with as many references as possible from the Bleach universe. I am not a big writter of humoristic stories, but this one may contain some humor during the first several chapters.**

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><p>"What the hell?Again?" Rukia saw the 'Out of Order' sign in front of her. "It's the third time this month, damn it! Where does my money go to?" she went back and started to go up the stairs.<p>

She climbed the stairs slowly, putting one foot in front of the other.

_All that a girl wants is that, when she comes home from a hard day at work, she can use the elevator to get to her apartment..but nooo… I have to climb to the ninth story! If I see the rent guy I'm gonna break his neck!_

The key slid into the lock and with a small twitching sound the door was open. She dropped her bags and shoved her shoes out of her small feet as she turned on the light.

_Finally…_

Her apartment was not much to look at, with just two rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen, but she did feel at home and safe every time she crossed the doorway. After all, how many people with her past manage to get themselves off the streets, get a job and actually pay rent to live in an apartment?

_Not many._ She thought every time the question rose.

It wasn't much but she was proud of what she had accomplished. Her memories of childhood were connected to different foster homes, some better than others, and then, after she was too old to stay there, she was forced to live on the streets, always trying to keep herself alive. Compared to others that had the same start as her she was doing well; very well.

Rukia pushed a button on her phone and after a short beep a robotic voice called out "You have _one_ new message," and after another beep "Playing first message." During this time she made her way to the kitchen and from one of the cupboards pulled out a small bag labeled 'Rabbit Food', opening it and pouring its contents in a small bowl.

"Hey, Rukia, wassup? Ichigo here. I called to let you know that I'm throwing a small party at my house… nothing big or fancy, but I was wondering if you'd like to come. I expect everybody to show up after 9 o'clock this evening. See ya there!"

"There you go, Chappy." she spoke to the little white bunny she had kept as a pet for the last year and a half, placing her hand over the animal's head and playing with its ears.

She got up, went to the phone and pressed 'Repeat'.

_Well… it would have been a bit better if I had heard the message before 9 o'clock. _She walked into her room and started to undress._ Then again, I could use a bit of time off. A little alcohol never hurt anybody._

Her friend, Ichigo, who she had met at work, was always throwing parties at his house, about half an hour drive-time out of town. The first time they met, Rukia couldn't help but be intrigued about the guy. Who in his right mind would paint his hair orange of all colors? Rukia let out a small laugh as she reminded herself of the first time she saw him. Later she found out that Kurosaki Ichigo was not the freak she thought him to be, but actually a pretty nice guy. He always looked out for her at work and tried to support her when the boss was giving her a hard time. In her eyes, Ichigo had only one flaw, and it was only visible when Renji was around. Every time those two would get together hell would break loose. They would fight and argue endlessly like little kids whose bodies have matured much faster than their brain. Then again, they were the heart of any good party. As much as she would like to deny it, their fights always made people smile and she couldn't help but wonder if that was one of the reasons they did it every time.

After putting on some clean clothes she said her goodbyes to the little rabbit and locked the door, heading for the elevator.

"DAMN IT!" she walked back and started going down the stairs, one foot in front of the other, just like she climbed them.

[…]

The car's engine was barely making any noise which gave Rukia the silence she needed to think about what she would do at the party.

_Nothing fancy, like Ichigo said. Get a drink, socialize, hey, maybe I can even ask Inoue about that song I've been meaning to get my hands on… darn it. What was it called again? Pfff I'll surely remember by the time I get there_.

The silence and darkness of the night seemed to be her only companions on the road since no other car was passing by from any direction.

_This part always gives me the creeps. _She thought as she entered a portion of the road that cut through a forest. _ Why couldn't you just live like every one of us, in the city, Ichigo?_

She started to think about the party again and the people she would meet there, talking out loud to chase away the silence.

"So, Ichigo, Renji, Chad … who else? Inoue would be there for sure, after all, whenever Ichigo organizes these little get-togethers she is the first on the list. Must be something about the orange hair." she couldn't help but be amused. "So Ichigo will hang out with Inoue, Chad will just sit there quietly like he always does, Renji will… well… probably fight with Ichigo all night long. The other girl, the friend of Inoue; hmm what was her name? Ah, yes Tatsuki. She will also probably hang out with our dear host. Who did I leave out? Ishida, of course. He's a workaholic so it will be a miracle if he even shows up."

There was always a chance of new people coming at these parties, since Ichigo was one of the friendliest guys Rukia knew. His ability to make tight bonds with people was beyond her comprehension. Still, it was something she couldn't help but admire about him.

Silence had set in again and there was still a lot of road to cover to reach Ichigo's house. But then another thought struck her.

"So then, who are _you_ gonna hang out with, Rukia? Why are you even going to this thing?" she gave out a long sigh. _Is it for Ichigo? What I felt for him passed long ago, when I realized his head was too high up in the clouds to see my feelings. So then why am I going?_

She knew the truth. She wanted to feel needed by someone. She wanted to have a better reason to live other than that of just living or perhaps someone to live for…

Thinking of the matter, she caught a glimpse of the sky. Not a single cloud covered the sea of stars above her; a strange thing for that period of the year, she thought, tilting over the wheel to get a better look, but a second after, she noticed the strange, sudden change of temperature in her car. Out of nowhere the air had gotten so cold that she could actually see her breath when exhaling. She did not have a moment's pause to think about it, though. Her foot pressed as hard as possible on the breaks, as another car missed her own and continued in its direction at great speed after barely avoiding the impact.

"IDIOT! Learn to drive!" She felt her hands trembling on the wheel, and all she could hear as the silence set in again was the engine of her own car, which was now still, in the middle of the road. Drawing in a couple of heavy breaths, she finally took her foot of the breaking pedal. Looking in front of her and back, seeing nobody else sharing the road, she finally decided to put her car into motion again. To her surprise, the air around her was back to its normal temperature.

"Damn you and your stupid party, Ichigo! You just had to live in the middle of nowhere in your nice big villa with nice big – "but her monologue was interrupted by the short-lived light of a shooting star that seemed to fall just over the hill in front of her.

"Oh so I get a wish after cheating death… The universe does have a sense of justice. Hm… what could a girl like me possibly want? I am rich beyond my dreams… I have a full and meaningful life… surrounded by friends and family… and of course, the man of my dreams always making me feel loved. Nope. Not much else I could want other than what I have." She started laughing at her own ironic words. "Perhaps if I think really har- OH MY GOD!" She tried to turn the car as much as she could in that split second but it was not enough to avoid the man who jumped out of nowhere in front of her.

[…]

_No.. no no no no! This cannot be happening. _She got out of the car, feeling her feet barely able to drag her to the man who was lying on the asphalt several meters away. She suddenly paused, however as, coming closer and closer, she noticed that the man was actually completely naked. _What the hell?_ Rukia looked around, but the silence of the night was bearing down on the scene just as much as before. _Ok..Ok… Focus, Rukia. Focus. You just hit a man with your car. Right! The ambulance… Damn it! No signal out here! Ichigo, you bastard!_

"A-are you… C-can you hear me? Are you alright?" _What a stupid question, Rukia… When have you heard of someone saying they are alright after being hit by a car?_ She got closer to him, trying as much as possible to ignore the situation of him being naked, trying to put the cause of such a thing out of her mind for the time being and focusing on what was important. The man was still breathing, to her relief, yet that did not solve the problem of getting him to a hospital as soon as possible. For all she knew he might not be breathing for very long after such a hit. She put in action the first good idea that came to her mind in such a situation, bringing her car close, managing to somehow lift him up enough to place him in the back seat of her car and rushing to the nearest hospital.

[…]

"So… Miss Kuchiki – Is that it?"

"Y-Yes..Kuchiki Rukia."

"The man you brought in is alive and showing little to no damage to his body. He is actually conscious at this moment, but does not retain any memory of his identity and any recent… or past events in his life, which would lead us to discovering it. You stated that he jumped in front of your car, correct?"

"Yes." Her voice was still trembling.

"There have been many cases in which the victim of a car accident suffers from temporary amnesia, but in 90% of the cases that extends only to the moment of the accident or, in rarer cases, it affects only the short term memories." He paused to look at her. "And… was he naked before you hit him?" The doctor lifted an eyebrow.

"Y-yes! Of course!" _What kind of question is that?_

"So I am to assume that you do not know his identity?" He noted something down without waiting for her to answer.

"Yes. I was driving to the house of a friend. Kurosaki Ichigo... You might know the name. His father is a doctor."

"Perhaps his father is a doctor at another hospital." He replied politely. "But perhaps these are details that would be better shared with a police officer. Based on your information, we have already taken the liberty of informing the police of this situation. I hope you find nothing wrong with that."

"O-of course not."

"Right. Well, Miss Kuchiki, I need to take care of my other patients now. We ask that you remain here until the police officers arrive, in order to give as many details related to the incident as possible and perhaps lead them to discovering this man's identity."

"I understand." She watched the doctor turn and leave.

"Oh..and Miss Kuchiki, you may see him in room 18, just down this hallway, to the right, if you wish. Do not worry… he is wearing clothes now." He looked over his shoulder, containing a laugh at his last remark, then continued his night shift.

Rukia frowned heavily as he walked away. "_Oh don't worry he's wearing clothes now"… __Good joke, jerk. Pff…_

[…]

The police officers had arrived before she could gather the courage to enter his room, and to her relief, the interview concluded without any smart-assed references to the victim's lack of clothes from any of the two officers who appeared to take the case as seriously as she thought it should be. However, with no further information about him, other than the bits Rukia could offer, they had no basis for him to be transferred into police custody, and so the decision had been taken for him to remain at the hospital until his injuries – and hopefully his memory- had recovered.

"Are you alright, Miss?" A passing nurse approached Rukia, waking her from her snooze on one of the chairs outside room 18. "Can I help you? Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you!" Rukia nearly jumped out of the chair, ashamed that sleep befell while she tried to muster the courage to enter the room.

The young woman gave her another look then continued her shift, disappearing further down the hallway into another patient's room. Rukia took out her cellphone, looking at the time. 3 AM… Nobody from the party called, but then again, she had not actually confirmed her invitation to anyone. For all they knew, she could be sleeping in her bed after a normal day's work at this time.

Her trail of thoughts was intrerupted as the door in front of her opened and a woman stepped from within room 18. Rukia imediately rose to her feet, ready to greet who she thought was an aquaintence of the man she hit, but as soon as the woman saw her, a furious frown took over her features. It was the moment Rukia realized the woman had yellow eyes. She did not speak a word as she took a few steps towards Rukia, who's smile had now faded completely. Trying to avoid the gaze of the one in front of her, who felt almost like a phisical force crushing against her body, Rukia tried to break eye contact, but it was as if she had no control over her body.

"Doctor Hiroto to Emergency... Doctor Hiroto to Emergency, please." Mostly by reflex, Rukia imediately turned her head towards the speaker behind her, but as she turned back the woman had dissapeared.

"Wait! Hello?" she ran to the end of the hallway, bumping into the nurse she had met earlier "I'm so sorry... D-did you see where she went?"

The nurse gave her a funny look.

"The woman with... yellow eyes and purple hair?" unfortunately she realized how crazy she must sound only after finishing her sentence "I mean... the woman who just came this way. She came out of room 18-"

"Miss, are you sure that you are alright? Nobody passed by in the last few minutes..." she gently placed a hand on Rukia's shoulder "...but perhaps you should go home and rest. The person you are here for would surely not want you to get sick as well."

"No, I-" there was no way that could have been a dream "I am fine, and I prefer to stay. Excuse me, please." She bowed and went back to her chair. Perhaps she was too tired, afterall. It was certainly not the best of her days.

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><p><strong>I am aware that it is not a very long chapter and it does not speak much of the plot, but its role was to familiarize the reader with the universe I plan to write the story in. As you can see, it is as close as possible to the one we live in. I have my reasons for writting it as such... Now, if before, I would just welcome reviews, in this case, given that it is my first time writting characters in such a different universe from their own, I want to see as many opinions as possible (as always: be they good or bad). More than often, a review is more valuable to an author than a "Favorite Story" or the likes. <strong>

**That is all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**In truth, I did not expect for this story to receive such positive reactions. Thank you for taking the time to submit reviews. It has motivated me to focus my attention on writting the next chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>He felt her presence in his room. He could almost hear her heartbeat in the silence of the night. It was increasing with every step she took towards his bed. <em>Beautiful <em>was the first word that came to mind when he looked at her... beautiful from the locks of raven-black hair, delicate hands and fragile frame to her very stance. Her eyes, however, were what mesmerized him when he first looked upon her. The big, violet orbs that seemed to contain enough hope for the whole world, yet were shadowed by sadness. Was that why he did not do it? Did he feel mercy? Was someone like him... or rather _something_ like him capable of mercy? Proposterous. Such things were meant only for the rest of _them_.

Even though he knew better than to judge, this is what intrigued him about this world, the fact that such beauty could come from one with her past. He did know her past, ofcourse... he knew the past of everyone and everything he had ever-

"Hello...I see that you are awake. Uhmm.. but I could leave if you wish to-"

"Stay." It sounded more like a command than anything, but his voice came as soothing for a reason she could not put her finger on.

"I am Kuchiki Rukia. Pleased to meet you." She bowed slightly, but never taking her eyes off him.

"I am aware." He looked straight at her, making eye contact for the first time.

"Y-you are? But I thought-"

"The doctor has informed me of your identity."

"Oh... ofcourse he did."

"You are the woman that hit me with her car. Am I right?"

"Hai..." she dropped her head in shame, such a direct question catching her off guard "... and I am deeply sorry for that." For some reason, past the impassive gaze, his eyes seemed to pull her towards them, drawing her in completely. "I did my best to avoid you, but you came out of nowhere and it happened so fast-"

"There is no need to present excuses."

"..." _Again with the stare. _

The moment of silence that ensued only deepened the awkwardness Rukia felt towards the whole situation.

"Do you know why you were naked?" She blurted out when the silence became unbearable, only to realize that how inapropriate that must have sounded.

He looked at her, blinking slowly.

"Right... ermm.. memory loss. I'm sorry. The doctor told me that. I do not know why I even asked. I just-"

"Kuchiki Rukia... It is the middle of the night. I am tired... " he lied. His kind never needed rest. "... and you are as well. You shall go home and rest."

"But-" the appearance of a small frown on his visage made her choke on her words. She felt a shiver climb up her spine but decided to speak regardless of it. "If you wish to be left alone, I'll leave, but I am not tired..." If the stare he threw her would have been any sharper, she swore it would have actually cut her "... and I am not going home. In case one of your aquiantences comes, I wish to tell them what happened." _How's that, Mr. Bossy?_

"Do as you wish." Came the emotionless reply, to Rukia's dissapointment, although she, herself, did not know what more she was expecting.

With a simple nod, she turned away in order to exit the room, asking herself why she had just lied to him about not being tired, but her trail of thoughts were bruptly intrerupted when, in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of her. Rukia had no time to process what had happened, as he touched her forehead with two fingers.

"Sleep."

[...]

It only took a second for the small woman to fall into his arms, overtaken by her own exhaustion. He understood the concept of free will – after all, it was a gift bestowed upon his kind as well – but he never got around why humans would display stubbournes and resistence towards something that was obviously good for them. Either way, when humans are forgiven for doing something much worse against another's will, putting her to sleep when she needed it did not seem that much of a reason to waste time thinking about. Then again... what else did he have, if not time?

The faces of the people walking by provided him almost enough amusement for a smile... almost. He knew from experience that the act of a man carying a woman in his arms through city streets in the middle of the night was not a normal thing to them. Truth be told, he would have prefered his usual means of traveling, but during the attempt from his hospital room's window, his wings displayed a feeling of what humans could only describe as pain. It was interesting to him... to feel such a thing, despite knowing that his kind is capable of it; he never put too much thought towards this topic, given his role. He could become invisible to them, if only to avoid the curious eyes, but somehow he understood that an unconcious woman, _floating_ her way towards home would attract even more attention.

The music a group of teenagers was playing loudly at the entrance of an alley peaked his interest. It was... different from the sounds his senses were attuned to. The man who stuck his head out the window, screaming at them to turn it down probably did not share the same tastes. Unlike the rest of his kind, he never took the time to understand or feel this world; to hear music, to experience the mid-summer breeze as it gently caresses the skin, to taste food or to walk... Ever since he came into existence, such things were trivial to him and therefore a need to experience them never rose.

An ambulance passing by with its screaming sirens made him recall the night of his transition to this world. He understood _why_ it happened; of that there was no doubt... but why _here_? Was it because _she_ was here?

[...]

He passed them both through the door, stopping in the hallway of her appartment. Her scent was present in the air, to his delight, but another smell caught his attention. The mistery of its source was solved when he entered her room and saw Rukia's white furred companion. Gently laying her on the bed, he walked over to the animal.

"Interesting. I understand why she would want a living creature in her home, but your scent is soiling hers. Die." With his last word, the animal colapsed on the floor, devoid of life.

Turning back to face the bed, he gazed upon her sleeping form, noting that her beauty seemed even more obvious in the dim light that made its way through the curtains of her room's windows. The sharp, repeating sound that came from another room intrerupted his thoughts. He appeared in front of it, ready to take its life away, in order to stop it from waking her up, but as his hand reached out, she heard her voice comming from it.

"This is Kuchiki Rukia... Leave a message after the beep." And another sharp sound followed.

"Oy, Rukia, its me, Ichigo... You never called about the party. Everything alright? I know you may be sleeping, but I'll just say this now so that I dont forget, tomorrow. I wanted to tell you this at the party, but anyway... Your work schedule changed because some guy made a mistake with the shifts and... well.. you have 3 days off. Enjoy. Oh, and gimme a call when you hear this. Lemme know you're still alive. Heh."

By the time the message had finished recording, he was already back in her room, making sure she was not cold, by covering her. Humans seemed so frail... unable to witstand too much cold or heat, easily injured, barely able to cary out their daily tasks without falling to some illness because their body's balance was disturbed. He knew better than anyone, however, that despite their weak shells, humans possessed an uncanny spiritual strength. It was a shame they never used that power as much as their used their mind, but that is,again, where free will came into play.

He gave her one last look before dissapearing out of the room.

[...]

Rukia woke up with the sun in her eyes, taking a moment before realizing her whereabouts.

_Strange... I thought..._

_Maybe I was, indeed, too tired. I did not even bother to change my clothes before hitting the sack._

She got out of bed, noticing her rabbit on the floor.

"Oh, Chappy... I must have forgotten about your food as well when I got in last night. I am so sorry... Chappy? CHAPPY?"

She took a few steps towards the animal.

"Well, if you have enough energy to run away from me, then you surely are not hungry!" the rabbit jolted under one of her cubbards and she did not feel like chasing him out of its hideout "I'll see you in the kitchen when you want to eat, mister..."

"You have _two_ new messages" informed the robotic voice as she pressed the red button on her phone.

_Beep_

"Rukia, its Ichigo... You never have signal on your phone, damn it! The party has already started... you got my last message, right? Are you comming or not?"

_Beep_

"Oy, Rukia, its me, Ichigo... You never called about the party. Everything alright? I know you may be sleeping, but I'll just say this now so that I dont forget, tomorrow. I wanted to tell you this at the party, but anyway... Your work schedule changed because some guy made a mistake with the shifts and... well.. you have 3 days off. Enjoy. Oh, and gimme a call when you hear this. Lemme know you're still alive. Heh."

_I'm alright, I'm alright... give me a break. I've had a bad night. _The images of the previous night flashed in her mind. _Damn it..._ She looked at the clock.

"Still within visiting hours, but I need to hurry. Chappy!" The furry creature timidly made its way into the middle of the kitchen, but immediately ran off as she tried to get close to it. "Argh! I dont have time for this, now." She poured the rabbit food in its bowl and rushed in the shower, but as she came out, it was untouched, and the rabbit was still hiding under one piece of furniture or another, depending how close she would try to get to it.

"I dont know what's gotten into you, today, but I need to leave. Hopefully the man from the accident is in a more interactive mood than you are."

[...]

He heard a knock on the door before she entered.

"Hello, again." She made her way into the room with small steps.

"Good day, Kuchiki Rukia."

"You still know my name. Well, at least your memory loss only extends to what happened before the accident." She almost completed her smile before feeling the shiver crawling up her spine from his cold stare.

_Perhaps not as interactive as I thought._

"I-I meant to come sooner, but the strangest thing happened. I woke up in my appartment just two hours ago, but without any memory of me actually leaving the hospital. I guess I was that tired..."

Rukia looked at him. His slate eyes gave her a feeling of uneasyness, but at the same time, made her feel at peace, somehow.

"And then Chappy... my pet rabbit... was acting strange..."

[FLASHBACK]

"Interesting. I understand why she would want a living creature in her home, but your scent is soiling hers. Die."

[...]

He gave her one last look before dissapearing out of the room.

[...]

Several seconds later, he reappeared in her room, before the animal who's life had expired at his will.

"I have reviewed your case and taken into consideration the slight chance that your end would cause _her_ to experience sadness. It is a scenario that I wish to avoid, therefore..."

Bending down, he touched the small creature with his index finger, then watched as it scurried away from him, in fear, hidding under Rukia's bed.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"I wonder what has gotten into him..." she continued, unaware of his thoughts.

"I would not know."

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><p><strong>That is all for now. Opinions are welcome.<strong>

** I wish you all a good 2012, filled with everything that you need in order to be happy.**

**Take care.**


	3. Chapter 3

**It is... interesting how only two chapters of this story have gathered, in a week and a several days, half the reviews that "Beast Within:Dark Ending" got since I started it (almost 2 years ago); and I actually put effort into that one. Perhaps people do not favor dramatic romance stories.**

**In any case, I appreciate the time each of you, who leave reviews, take to encourage me towards continuing to write. I doubt that my work is as good as you portray it, but thank you.**

**In matters related to this chapter:**

**Byakuya means "White Night" (in case there are some who did not know)**

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><p>"…Byakuya."<p>

"…"

"…"

"What did you refer to me as?"

"By-a-ku-ya."

His response came as a slightly raised eyebrow.

"What? If you are going to stay in the apartment, you at least need a proper name… until your memory returns, of course."

[FLASHBACK]

"Miss Kuchiki Rukia, can we have a word, please?"

Rukia nodded and excused herself from the one she came to visit, afterwards following the doctor out of the room.

"Miss Kuchiki, it has been more than four days since the accident and nobody has even announced the authorities about a missing person matching his description."

"Yes, I know. I call to the police department daily to get any updates on his case. Despite what they said, I still feel guilty over what happened that night… not to mention that nobody deserves to be left alone during such a scenario. So… until his memory returns or someone comes looking for him, I'll be there for him. I guess we just have to wait."

"Yes, well… that is where the problem I wanted to discuss with you comes in."

"Problem?"

"You see, Miss Kuchiki, although I share your sympathy towards his case, unfortunately, this hospital does not run on good intentions… "

"But I provided my insurance to cover the costs and-"

"That is not what I am referring to. We cannot keep him in this hospital anymore."

"What?"

"Ugh… Miss Kuchiki, other than his memory loss, he is perfectly healthy. Actually, he is the healthiest person I have ever seen. His bloodwork and scans show absolutely nothing wrong with him. We could not even find traces of anti-bodies within his blood. Under normal circumstances, from such a result, that would mean he was never sick a day in his life from disease… but that is impossible for a man of his age. Even the post-accident injuries with which he was brought in with were consistent with those of a stumbling and healed almost entirely the day after." He paused, giving her time to process the information.

"But this is all good news, right? Where are you getting at…?"

The doctor gave out a long sigh.

"In short, we cannot keep a man hospitalized when there is nothing wrong with him. We are already overcrowded and there are other people who are in real need."

"Real need? What is that supposed to mean? He doesn't remember who he is! You can't just kick him out!"

"I am sorry, but the rules are clear. His memory loss is not something that we handle… but I can make arrangements for his transfer to a psychiatric institution where I can assure you that he will be treated well until his memory recovers.

"What? You can't just transfer him to a mental facility. He's not crazy."

"Miss Kuchiki, please… There are many cases treated inside the premises of a psychiatric institution, other than what you define as 'crazy'. Not to mention that they are much better equipped to deal with his problem than we are."

She paused at his words, unable to find her own.

"I am sorry, but I cannot present you with any other alternative. Now, I also need to inform him of the situation." He moved past Rukia, ready to enter his room.

"Wait… just… give me two-three days to find another way, make other arrangements…"

"I was already contacted by the management of the hospital in regard to his case… I cannot prolong his stay here for that long. At best, you have the rest of the day and tomorrow."

She nodded silently in resignation.

"At least let me be the one who tells him. "

"As you wish, Miss Kuchiki. Although, if you do not mind me saying, I do not see why you are concerned with him to that extent…"

[…]

Rukia did not manage to get any sleep that night. She could not have answered that question even if she wanted to. Sure, he was a man she felt guilt towards because of a car accident, but such things happen every day and it is considered sufficient for the driver to just send a formal apology, especially when absolved by the authorities. And yet… there she was, spending the majority of her free time at his side in a small hospital room, almost feeling sorry that visiting hours were so short. There was something special about him… something she could not exactly describe but knew it was there. It was why she did not want to see him in another hospital, where they would stuff him with medicine. The image of his eyes flashed through her mind, making her sigh and turn on her other side.

_Empty… _ She thought as she looked at the other half of her bed. _Wait a minute. The second room has been empty ever since I paid for the place…_

[…]

"Hey, Rukia… "

"Oh… Ichigo!"

"Don't 'Oh Ichigo!' me! Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

"What do you mean? I left you a message."

"Ohhhh… riiiight… 'I'm alive.'" One of his eyes twitched. "I could not help but notice the endless cascade of words you put into letting your friends know what you have been doing." came the sarcastic reply.

She smiled without noticing, thinking that maybe _his_ behavior was starting to rub off on her, from all the time spent together during the last days. She wasn't really an open book, but her social skills were definitely more developed than his 'one-word-sentence' ones.

"Oy… Earth to Rukia… I'm still here, damn it. And what are you smiling about? We were really concerned. Inoue was… wait… what do you have there?" He noticed one of the bags in her hands. "And come to think of it, 'the hell are you doing buying stuff from a men's clothing store?"

"I don't think that is any of your business, Ichigo." She turned her back to him trying to hide the sudden blush that appeared on her features.

"Oh … I see, I see." He poked her with his elbow repeatedly "That explains the lack of news. You thought you could slip this past me, did you? So, who is he?"

"Huh?"

"Your boyfriend… Who else would _you_ buy men clothing for?" his grin was interrupted by the sudden smack on the back of his head.

"Idiot! I don't have a boyfriend!"

"Riiiigh… then who are _those_ for?" he pointed at the bags.

"I… uhm… well, you see…" she tried to picture his reaction to the truth of her hitting a man with her car then offering him a place to stay at her apartment until he recovered his memory "… they are for my… _brother_." The last thing she needed now was for him to start telling her that she was out of her mind for taking such a decision or complain about not letting anybody know about what she has been going through during the last days.

"A… brother?" his eye twitched again.

"Yes…you know, like you are to Karin and Yuzu."

"Geez, I know what a brother is… I meant that you never said you had a brother!"

"Yes well… I adopted him?" _Oh crap…_

"You… what?"

"No! I mean he adopted me! I mean… his family!"

"You told me you never knew your parents and lived your life in foster homes."

_Damn it, Ichigo!_

"Well, that was before I got adopted into the Kuchiki family…"

He took a moment to look at her, not sure if to believe what he was hearing.

"So then… what is your brother's name?"

Rukia's eyes widened at the unexpected question. The first thought that passed through her mind was the night of the accident and the image of the falling star that lit up the night sky before everything happened.

"B-Byakuya… Kuchiki Byakuya." She avoided direct eye contact.

Ichigo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Well… I guess that shows how well you can know a person… Never expected you to have a brother, Rukia."

She let out a long sigh, relieved that her lie was accepted.

"So when do we get to meet him?"

_You have got to be kidding me…_

"I don't know, really… he is not very sociable." _Not to mention that he doesn't know he just became my brother… _"But I'll see what mood he is in and maybe introduce him to everyone one of these days." _Or not._

"Such an event is worthy of a little get-together… don't you agree? Heh… What do you say about next week?"

"Wait, Ichigo… I don't think-"

"It's settled then! Make sure to bring him along… I'm certain everyone will want to meet him."

"Ichigo!"

"Cya, Rukia…" he walked away, waving his hand without looking back.

_God… please kill me now._

[…]

"So that's how it is…"

"I see." A slight frown appeared on his features.

"I tried to convince them that it was not the right decision, but they are hiding behind the hospital rules. And the alternative they provided… well, I already told you."

"Alright."

"Alright? You are not bothered by this?" she gave him a surprised look.

In truth, he was not at all upset, for he knew that a simple change of location could not stop him from visiting her every night while she slept. After his wings stopped hurting, moving was as easy as thinking about the destination, so getting past any security was not even on his list of problems related to the situation.

"I thought you would be… which is why I made arrangements. I mean… if you wanted to, or felt comfortable enough, I have a spare room… in my apartment."

He blinked slowly, without answering.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"Perfectly. I believe it is a good thing to have extra space for yourself. However, I do not see the relevance of your statement to the topic that is being discussed."

"Ugh" Rukia almost fell of her chair at his reply "I mean that, if you agree to it, you can… use that room for a few days… to live in." she was not sure whether he was trying to make fun of her or actually did not understand where she was going with all of this. "But if you prefer the mental hospital… that's ok too."

He did not expect such an offer, especially given his knowledge of human nature. During his short time studying them, he learned enough about how distrustful they were of one another. So then, why did she extend an invitation for him, as a stranger, to occupy the vacant room in her apartment?

"Either way, I bought you these clothes, so you can wear. The ones the hospital provided are not exactly the most appropriate for going out."

He suddenly understood the reason why people kept looking at him in a strange way the night he carried her home, even after he left her sleeping in the apartment.

"You purchased vestments for me?" He gave her a long look.

"Well… yes."

"Kuchiki Rukia… why is it that you care about what happens to me?"

"What?" the question took her completely by surprise "I-I just thought that you wouldn't like it in the other hospital, and I was the one that hit you with my car, so I feel… responsible. Then I thought that you can use that room, because it was... well… empty" she was having a hard time finding the answer under his constant cold gaze " and I thought that you would prefer my offer over the one from the hospital… but then I remembered that you didn't have any clothes, so I thought I could at least get some for you and-"

"I accept your offer." His words cut off her speech; something she was grateful for, seeing how she was under the impression that she was making a complete fool of herself in front of him with her senseless prattle.

"Y-you do?"

A simple nod on his part confirmed his previous words.

"Thank you."

His last words lit up a smile on her features.

"You are welcome…Byakuya."

[END OF FLASHBACK]

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><p><strong>With this part of the story taken care of, and them having been finally brought together, I feel like the ground is set for the developement of the main plot. Despite these 3 chapters not being the most eventful, I believe that it was a step I could not jump over in the story. The beauty of these chapters consists in their subtle hints towards what is really going to happen in the future, when some of the things I already wrote will start making sense. At least that is how I see it.<strong>

**Opinions are welcome.**

**Take care.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I present to you the 4th chapter of this story. It was delayed due to the fact that for the last two days I worked on the Skyrim related one-shot which I posted before this.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>"So, you are alright with being my supposed brother? Really?"<p>

It was the least he could do for her given her generosity towards him, which, although not really needed, did manage to impress him. Even though he saw her reasons as childish, he understood that the truth would cause her mischief, should it surface.

"I shall not repeat myself."

"Hai. Thank you!" she bowed swiftly. "Now all we need is a background for you. It needs to be something-"

"28th head of the influential Kuchiki family from… up north. I like Japanese cherry blossoms, enjoy night-time walks and prefer spicy food. I also spend a portion of my free time practicing the art of calligraphy, because I enjoy it. "

She looked at him, unable to find her words.

"Was I in anyway unclear?"

"…"

"It is settled, then." He resumed his slow walk, leaving her behind, turning around after a few seconds at the sound of her giggle.

"Alright… _Nii-san._" The giggle ended abruptly at the sight of his frown "Erm…I mean… Nii-_sama_?" her smile came back on her features as she saw the frown disappearing from his.

They had been living together for the better part of a week, now. But despite such a short period of time spent together, there were situations in which there was no need for words to understand one-another. She enjoyed his company and despite his general apathetic behavior towards other people, he never turned down a conversation with her… something she never missed a chance to start. His elegant gestures, way of speaking and overall aristocratic -slightly arrogant- behavior made her wonder whether he really was part of nobility before losing his memory. Rukia tried not to think too much about his past, because it always reminded her of the fact that, sooner or later, the man she grew so attached to would recover his real identity and disappear from her life just as fast as he appeared, more so if he held a high rank on the social ladder.

Truth be told, through some coincidence, all aspects of her life had improved since she met him; from not getting the feeling of loneliness that killed her every night, to her job, and even her pet rabbit having stopped its habit of making his onto the bed and waking her up in the middle of the night… although that last part had changed mostly due to the fact that Byakuya killed the rabbit every night and brought it back to life just before she woke up, if the troublesome creature would be caught trying to enter her room.

[…]

"Sooo… Rukia… that is your esteemed brother, that I'vebeen hearing so much about, eh?" Akiko Matsuna interrupted Rukia's conversation with Ichigo.

"Ugh… Yes. That is him." Her eyes ran over her former work colleague, inspecting her. As expected, her habit of displaying more skin than necessary, regardless of circumstance, had not changed since the two had last met.

"You don't say… And might you know if he is… well… " the woman displayed a slight grin "… available?"

Rukia gave her a shrewd look. She had answered that question too many times since they arrived. Ichigo's idea of a _little_ get-together was from being… little, as she was left with the impression that half the people she ever met in her life were here. And if that was not enough, other girls were trying to hit on her supposed brother by asking her bothersome questions.

"I think you need to ask _him_."

"Oh… don't mind if I do just that." Akiko turned away, slowly making her way across the room towards her target.

"Yup… she's still got it." Ichigo leaned slightly on Rukia "I pity your brother… What Akiko wants… Akiko gets, you know what I mean?"

Rukia gave out a long sight looking at the forms of the woman who had just started talking with her brother. She did not consider herself a selfish person, but for some reason, it felt uncomfortable… knowing that other people were trying to get _his_ attention, especially when _other people_ meant good looking women who had no problem with forsaking their integrity in order to get what they wanted.

"Yeah, well… anyway… let me introduce you to… Yoruichi-san… Shihouin Yoruichi. Is that right?" her conversation partner interrupted Rukia's trail of thoughts as he turned to the purple haired woman who had just made her appearance at the party.

"Quite right, Ichigo. And you are?" She gave Rukia a wide grin.

"I'm-" the image of the woman at the hospital flashed through her mind immediately; it was her.

"Kuchiki Rukia. You will have to excuse her. She has the habit of keeping her up head in the clouds." Ichigo intervened, giving her friend a small bump.

"Ah… yes. I'm sorry." _It can't be her._ "It's just that, for a moment, I had the impression that we met before."

"Hardly possible. I would have remembered." She looked towards Byakuya and continued. "And he must be the reason for this party…"

"What?"

"Your brother. He _is_ your brother, is he not?"

"Y-yes… of course!" she felt the need to break the eye contact while answering.

"How is he like?"

Rukia released a small sigh at the question. _Here we go again._

"Well… you should go and meet him yourself… although I would hurry if I were you…" She pointed at Akiko "… the competition is strong."

Yoruichi gave the woman in red next to Byakuya a cold glare, then turned back to Rukia.

"I was more interested in what _you_ know of him…"

[…]

Akiko shifted her position on the chair, making sure her voluptuous curves were visible to the one she was talking to, before asking her question.

"You know… In a small circle like ours, news travels fast, and the word is that you are single."

Byakuya deemed it fit to simply give her a cold glare.

"Well… ?" she leaned towards him slightly.

"You are mistaken." He caught a glimpse of Rukia, who looked back at him and could not help but smile at his bored, yet still serious expression. "Another woman's smile has already bound my attention. "

"Erm… is that a yes?" Akiko gave him another reason to consider Rukia special. He never had to explain the meaning of his words to her.

"No."

"Oh… well, that is a shame… because I-"

"Excuse me." Byakuya interrupted her, and without waiting for a response moved past the woman.

[…]

"Shihouin Yoruichi… Kuchiki Byakuya. Kuchiki Byakuya… Shihouin Yoruichi."

"It is a… pleasure."

"Likewise."

Rukia immediately noticed the frown on her brother's face, as well as her general smile disappear from Yoruichi's as the two looked at each other.

"Phew… it's certainly getting warm in here, right? Those drinks I had must be kicking in. I think I need some fresh air." She fluttered her hand next to her face "Anybody wants to accompany me?"

"I can-"

"_I_ shall accompany you, Shihouin Yoruichi." Byakuya cut off Ichigo.

"Well, aren't you the gentleman… Kuchiki Byakuya."

Rukia watched the two leave the room, a feeling of uneasiness creeping up her spine.

"Your brother is a smooth operator… but you need to let him know that Yoruichi-san is here for _me_. Just so he doesn't get any ideas…"

"I'll make sure to tell him that." The raven haired girl rolled her eyes at Ichigo.

"What?"

[…]

Yoruichi walked calmly a few steps in front of Byakuya through the crowd, but as soon as she heard the door behind them close, she felt his hand on her shoulder and the next second, the view before them changed completely as they appeared atop one of the city's skyscrapers.

"What are you doing here?" his deep voice pierced the howling wind without a problem.

"You brought me here."

"I am not in the mood for games, Ar-"

"Now, now… In this world I am known as Shihouin Yoruichi. I would appreciate if you would not mention my old name. I try ever so hardly to put the past behind me." She turned to face him "To answer your question, I came simply out of curiosity."

"Curiosity?"

"You heard me. And I must say that my conversation with Kuchiki Rukia… your _sister_, has been quite informative. I never thought you to enjoy slow night-time walks… and I must ask if you ever really tasted spicy food to name it your favorite. On that note… have you ever tasted _any_ food?"

The fact that he responded to her question with an impassive gaze nagged her.

"She doesn't know who you are… _what_ you are. She doesn't know anything at all about you, does she?"

"I do not see how it is any of your business."

"My, my… but it is everyone's business. You see, you've been the talk of the… community ever since your fall." She took a pause to look at him from head to toes. "I mean… I've heard stories about you, even worked a few times with the… _things_ that serve you, but the day I felt your fall was something else."

"_Felt_ my fall?"

"Oh, do not sound so surprised… _Ofcourse_ I felt your fall. Everyone did. Heaven… Hell… and even a small group of humans attuned to these kind of things. One such as you cannot fall without raising a few alarms on his way down. But you didn't really go _down_, did you? No… For some reason you are here, in this world, in… _that_ form."

"You are as I am."

"Hah! You couldn't be more wrong, but I can't expect your _highness_ to know anything about the cracks in the system. I am not like you… I never fell, you see. Coming here was my order and ultimately my choice. I appear like this because I need to blend in, but I still have my true form, unlike you."

The sound of a helicopter passing overhead made her pause.

"It is fascinating… Why would He send you here instead of Hell, and why give you a mortal body? And why let you have your powers? You clearly have some of them left, despite being severely weakened."

He had asked himself the same question many times, but the answer eluded him, still. The rules were strict. He disobeyed… but as he stood in front of the Hell Gates, they did not open for him. Instead he got thrown onto this world.

"I find it sad, really. One of your rank… No." She corrected herself "Even those that are part of your cast cannot compare in power with you. And yet, you fell… for her." She started laughing "And she doesn't even know the truth about you. I wonder what she would say if she found out-"

"You shall stay away from her."

"Oh? And what are you going to do to stop me?" she made her first pair of wings visible, stretching them into the air, then the second pair, leaving it drop all the way down to her heals, making sure he was made aware of her prowes and power "You might have been a hot-shot when you had His favor, but down here you aren't worth a single-"

Byakuya grabbed her throat, almost crushing it, and lifted her into the air. In vain she tried to struggle out of his grip, for the next moment, he allowed her vision of his own wings. From his back, semi-transparent tendrils were spread out, radiating an aura of the purest white, moving constantly, some extending while others were retreating. Although their movement seemed chaotic at first glance, a current of energy flowed through some of them, uniting six groups and ultimately defining three pairs of wings. Yoruichi's eyes widened at the sight of them covering the entire city.

"I do not require my full power to destroy the likes of you. It is best that you remember that, should you ever cross my path again… Shihouin Yoruichi."

[…]

"There you are, Nii-sama… Oh… I thought Yoruichi-san was with you."

"She decided that it was best for her to leave."

"See what happens when you drink too much?" she smiled, more than anything because she was happy to see him. It was strange how his presence alone was enough to have this effect on her.

"Indeed… I doubt she will be consuming alcohol anytime soon."

"Well, it seems the party will be lasting until morning hours, but I would not mind skipping the rest of it… unless you wish to stay."

"Kuchiki Rukia… I attended the meeting of your friends because you asked. Leaving would not bother me."

"Are you sure? Because it sure seemed you made a few bonds tonight." Rukia giggled, remembering his expression when dealing with the people that wanted to talk him.

Byakuya frowned at her, which, this time, only intensified her laugh.

"I am not amused."

"Ok… ok… It was a bit funny, though."

As soon as she spoke the last word, Byakuya fell to one knee, his face contorted in pain. Rukia's smile disappeared immediately as she rushed to his aid.

"W-what's wrong?"

"…"

"I'll get help!"

"Rukia…" she froze when she heard her name "I remember… everything." her eyes widened while her heart skipped a beat.

"R-really…?"

"No." came the calm response while rising back to his impeccable stance, the angel's regular seriousness returned on its features. "_It was a bit funny, though._"

Rukia's jaw dropped as he passed her by on his way towards the car.

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><p><strong>That is all for now. The next update shall come soon.<strong>

**Thank you for reading. Leave an opinion.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is shorter and not so much focused on ByaRuki because I wished it to be an intermediary one. It shows the type of characters that will make their appearance in the future of this story. How good the good characters can be and how gruesome the bad ones already are.**

**Also, I would like to take this opportunity to mention that any religion related topic you might find within my story is not there with the intention to spread religion, but neither is it in my interest to deteriorate any reader's beliefs. Believing or not is everybody's own choice and I respect that. On that note, I do not want someone freaking out because I mention God or any other character from the Bible. This story has an angel theme and angels go hand in hand with religion… my reasons are as simple as that. I could not imagine taking Byakuya out of Bleach, without bringing in the elements that define him in the anime; if I would do it differently, it would be just a character that I created who happens to be named Byakuya. That is the same basis for which I plan to use characters from religion in a story which has angels.**

**Also… just because I said I would bring up characters from religion, does not mean I will respect their role or the flow of events written within the Bible to the letter. I reserve the right to portray Lucifer as a dancing, glittering, pink fairy if such is my wish... because the readers have already been noticed that this is an AU fic.**

**Was I in anyway unclear?**

**Good. I am not going to repeat myself on the matter.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>"You've seen him, then?"<p>

"He calls himself Byakuya Kuchiki… mascarading as the brother of the very reason he fell."

"I have to give him credit. I would not have expected one of his rank to accommodate so fast to this world. Those of his cast barely mingle with the rest of us, let alone with mortals." Urahara poured himself another cup of tea.

"Why do you drink that? Do you even feel its taste?"

He smiled, taking another sip.

"No… But I feel its warmth, and I like it."

"You've been living amongst humans for far too long."

"I would say you have not lived in their company long enough."

"What?"

"Yoruichi… Me and you… when we die, we are dead for good. Nothing awaits us after that. We disappear. It's the same for all Our Father's creations. Even Lucifer's pets share this fate. Humans are _the only_ exception to this. When they die, their soul remains. Why do you think He gave _them_ a second chance? I have seen them at their worse and also when they reached their true potential… Perhaps if you would put away your disgust towards them for just a moment, you would understand the reason why our target fell."

Yoruichi remained silent when hearing his words, not sure if it was one of his usual sarcastic speeches or if he was really serious.

"In any case, we are not here to discuss that." He continued, preferring to change the topic, rather than explaining himself "Tell me of _her_. How is the girl like?"

"Kuchiki Rukia? She has no idea who she's involved with. I do not know how he managed it, but the girl believes he is her brother. She calls him Byakuya Kuchiki."

"You think the other side has any idea who she is?"

"No… not yet at least. The demon I saw at the party seemed strictly interested in our target." She gave the man a worried look "If she was a scout, sent to gather information about his state, this assures us beyond any doubt that they are interested in him. We don't have too much time. The demon didn't look like much, but her orders must have come from up the ladder."

The purple haired woman ran her fingers down the marks on her neck. Despite her impressive experience, she could not find any angelic means of healing the spots where his skin touched hers.

"Even if they find out about the girl, he will not allow anybody close to her."

"What do you mean? I thought we had concluded that he had a mortal body now…"

"Yeah, well, somehow he retained his powers. I saw his six wings when he got… protective over her."

"Six? No… This cannot be right. He had eighteen wings last time I saw him."

"They were _six_… and they covered the entire damn city."

"Either he did not want you to see his full power or he cannot exercise it in his new form." He removed her hand, taking a look at her wounds "You should have known better than to taunt him, Yoruichi… You know full well that he is the-"

"Hello?"An old woman had entered the small shop Urahara was keeping.

"We'll figure out a way to heal these." He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.

"Do you really think he is the reason we have been sent here such a long time ago?"

"You think he isn't?"

"I'm asking you."

"Well, you see… humans have this strange habit, when not sure of what to do or what path to take… they trust their gut."

She gave him a weird look.

"It speaks volumes of their stupidity. How can one trust their internal organs?"

"Ugh… it's figurative for 'trust your instincts'."

"Excuse me… can I get some service over here?" the patience of the client was beginning to wane.

"Just forget it…" Urahara gave Yoruichi another quick look before making his way to the counter, a big smile instilled behind the paper fan he held up. "Of course m'am. What can I help you with?"

[…]

Akiko Matsuna awoke completely naked in her apartment with her hands tied to the bed. The last thing she remembered was talking to Ichigo about a certain party at his house, just outside of the city. She looked for a way to open the cuffs that kept her wrists bound, but the key was nowhere to be found and attempting to yank them off was too painful to try a second time. She was thankful to hear the apartment door open. Her mind jumped to the conclusion that she went to the party, had a bit too much to drink and picked a guy up who she later had _fun_ with.

"It's about time you came back. Get these-" she chocked on her own words when she saw _herself_ entering the room.

"Oh… you're awake."

"Wh-Who are you?"

"I'm you, silly…" she laughed at the horrified look on her victim's face "You know… you got me jealous… I mean, you're almost as naughty as I am. I lost count of how many guys at the party wanted to _re-live some of those special moments_ they spent with you."

"What the hell is going on?"

"I was tempted, believe me. All those men wanting my attention got me tingly in all the right places, if you know what I mean… It's a shame I had other things to take care of." Akiko screamed as the impostor turned on the light to reveal her blood spattered dress. "Oh, this? Pff… one of the guys thought he got lucky when said I needed a ride home."

"Please… Please! Just-"

"Of course, he couldn't take a hint when I told him that I wasn't in the mood, so when he got rough… I had to silence him." she grinned manically as her eyes turned red.

In a gush of red fire, her camouflage disappeared, revealing a naked, slightly red-skinned beautiful woman. Two coiled horns protruded from her forehead, their roots hidden within black hair. Her long, slim tail ended in several spikes that seemed too brittle to be used as a weapon.

The succubus made her way closer to Akiko, despite the girl's screams and desperate attempts to free herself.

"Now, now… you will only hurt yourself." The demon hand caressed Akiko's hair, then went down to the neck… her claws leaving bloody trails on her skin, stopping right above the heart.

Akiko tried to scream but felt her body go numb when, with a decisive jolt, the succubus pierced her chest and ripped her heart out. The tears on her cheeks dried off from the heat emanated by her assailant and the last thing she saw was a dark smoke appearing behind the monster who was not feasting on her heart.

"Am I interrupting you, Deleb?"

"Je-Jezebeth… My master… of course not!" she rushed to bow at the one in front of her.

The succubus matriarch tightened the grip on her weapon.

"I do not recall sending you here to enjoy yourself, Deleb…"

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me, mistress." Akiko's blood still dripped from her chin.

Jezebeth licked her lips at the sight of the mutilated body on the bed. Although sharing the seductive curves of her underling, the first noticed thing about her was always the burning whip she wielded to punish both her enemies as well as her minions. Her hair blazed in a yellow flame, covering her horns entirely. Unlike Deleb, Jezebeth wore pieces of red, spiked armor that covered her intimate parts along with a portion of her bat-like wings.

"Do you present a good enough reason for me to pass forgiveness?"

"I have done as you asked, mistress. The angel was there." Deleb dared look into the burning eyes of her master.

"Continue…"

"But there was another… she watched my every move. I could not do-"

"I did not inquire about the hardship of your mission, Deleb!" the snap of her whip silenced the succubus.

"H-he is mortal, mistress… the fallen one. Other than that, I could not find out anything. He did not bother to even speak with me." She bowed her head again at the sight of the frown on her master's face

"Mortal? How could this be?" Jezebeth spoke in a low tone, almost to herself "Did he discover who you really are?"

"I don't think so, mistress."

"You don't _think_ so?"

"I-I mean no… no he didn't."

"That better be so."

Jezebeth closed her eyes for a few moments.

"Our lord summons me. You shall stay in this world and observe our prize from a distance." She looked at the body of Akiko again "Mind you, Deleb… If the angel discovers our plan because of your mindless behavior, I will have you skinned alive and your worthless corpse shall feed the hellhounds. Do not fail me!"

The succubus matriarch disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a cloud of black smoke.

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><p><strong>That is all.<strong>

**Thank you for reading. Opinions are welcome.**

**The next chapter will be posted on the 18th of January and is going to be a special one.**

**Oh… and "L", related to your reviews… I have been lenient towards this the first time you expressed your desire for an update in such a way, but it is the second time I see you do that. I shall be clear: Nobody makes demands of me.**

**Still on the topic of reviews... You shall have to excuse me not being up to date with the latest abreviations(because I dislike their usage in a conversation/text) or FanFiction terms, but I am curious as to what "3" or "333" signifies? I know of its meaning as the number "three" (I would say that is most obvious) and of ":3" (cat face supposedly), but I do not understand what sort of message a review is supposed to send when the author of it and the contents are "3". *frown***

**In any case, take care of yourselves.**

**coAtL.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The 18th of January marks the day of my birth… hence I wished to post this special chapter on this date. Special because it contains the first love-scene which I have written in a very long time, along with strong hints towards Byakuya's real identity.**

**On that note, for those of you who wish to get an idea as to how I imagine Byakuya's wings (the tendril part), feel free to search "Diablo 2 LOD Ending" on YouTube. The video contains an angel which has wings that come very close to how I imagined those of Byakuya, although not entirely… (but it shows the concept of tendril-like wings). You can also watch the video by seeing this _/watch?v=phYVUcMw9JY _ with the proper YouTube address inserted before it.**

**As a result of the love-scene part, this story's rating shall be changed to M.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Ever since they had left the party, their car was the only one they saw on the road back to the city. She looked at him in the dim light. Never moving a muscle while standing perfectly straight in his seat, she wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling. Rukia recalled her own feelings of angst when seeing him in the company of other girls at the party, her fear of losing him.<p>

_That's stupid. I'm not jealous. I can't be… He's just a stranger in the end._

"What is it?" he had noticed her aloofness.

"N-nothing." Rukia immediately turned her eyes back to the road. "We'll be back home in no time." She smiled.

Several minutes had passed and she felt the weight of his gaze still upon her, like a hatchet bearing down on the back of her neck.

"What?"

"It is nothing."

[…]

"You know… why don't you go on ahead to the apartment and I'll go get some things from the store nearby so I can make us some real food? It might be a bit late for dinner, but that party junk food is no replacement for well done, warm meal."

"I am not hungry."

"You never are… But I'll make something that will surely stir your appetite."

"I shall accompany you, then."

"Don't worry, Byakuya _Nii-sama_…" a smug appeared on her features "… I'm a big girl. Besides, the store is just a light walk away. I'll be back before you know it."

[…]

"You summoned me, my lord?" she kneeled before the corrupt angel.

"Jezebeth… my loyal servant. What have you to report?"

"Our target is hard to approach, my lord." She rose to her feet, looking him in the eyes "The succubus I sent could barely get any inform-"

"You sent another?" The angel rose from his fiery throne, taking a few steps towards the matriarch. "I remember specifically instructing _you_ to handle this… Jezebeth. For thousands of years I have searched for the advantage I needed to assure victory in the upcoming war and now that _he_, of all angels, has fallen, you send a lesser demon to bring him into the fold?"

"My lord, please… I just-"

She dropped back to her knees after feeling the weight of his hand across her face. A strand of black, steaming blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, as she tried in vain to gather the courage necessary to look at him again.

"You disappoint me, Jezebeth. I thought you to be more competent than this. "

"I apologize, my lord. I shall depart for the mortal realm immediately. I will not fail you!"

"Do not bother. Your lack of aptitude has shown me that it is time I took matters into my own hands." He walked back to the throne, dropping his body onto it. "And I believe I know exactly where to start…"

Jezebeth saw the grin on his face as the image of Rukia appeared before him.

[…]

"Damn it…" her reflexes were not fast enough to catch the can of beans that fell out of her bag and rolled further down the alley connecting the main street to the entrance of her block.

"Here you go… miss." After trying to reach it, in vain, she rose to the man who picked it up and offered it back. The street lights did not reach all the way to this end of the alley and she could barely make out his features in the darkness of the night.

"Hai. Thank you." She grabbed the can, but when trying to pull it out of his hand, he tightened his grip on it.

"You know… a young lady such as yourself should really not wonder like this at night." He took a step towards her, still holding the can. "It really isn't… safe."

Rukia's smile faded immediately.

"Y-you're right. I'll… I'll just go back and take another route to my block…"

"Oh, ofcourse you are free to do that… after you show me what else you got there…"

"W-What?" she took a few steps back involuntarily, bumping into another man who grabbed her shoulder, making her drop the bags.

"He means your money, bitch… And hurry up! We ain't got time to mess around." She felt a sharp object almost puncturing the back side of her ribs.

Rukia's hands started trembling as she handed him the wallet.

"What? This is all you have? Fuck!" the level of annoyance of the one in front of her was visibly growing.

"Calm down, brother… maybe she can give us _something else_." The grin on the third man who appeared from behind the first terrified her.

"Hey, you're right… she is cute. Wouldn't mind getting me a piece of you…"

"What? No! Please, just take the money and… let me go. Please!" she immediately backed off as one of them tried to caress her cheek.

"Don't pull away from me, bitch!" he slapped her with the back of his hand, sending Rukia to the ground but as he tried to pull her back up, her knee landed in his groin.

Her attempt at running away was foiled, however, as another one of them grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back, filling her senses with pain.

"Feisty one, aren't you? Well… that's just the way I like'em!" he grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly and pinning her up against the wall "But make another move like that and I'll gut you like a fish!" Rukia felt the piece of metal touch the base of her neck as his hand started to travel up the inside of her thighs.

"Stop! Please stop! No! NO!"

His hand paused before reaching its intended destination as he rushed to put it in front of his own face, exhaling cold air onto it.

"What the-" the chill numbed his body down, and letting go of Rukia for a moment, he turned to face his two accomplices who were staring at a figure further down the alley.

Unable to realize what had happened, or see what they were looking at, Rukia took the opportunity to run to the entrance of her block. The man who had her pinned down tried to grab the small woman, but his body refused the command to move. When she disappeared from their sight the reason for their paralysis became visible. From the back of the figure, white tendrils traveled all the way to them, coiling themselves around the three men. The bright aura around them chased away the darkness of the night, revealing the one before them to wear a ragged, black robe, his face hidden beneath its hood.

As the figure made its way towards the three men, the rusty, old scythe he dragged on the concrete, behind him, screamed with the voices of the damned. Walking slowly, taking step after step after step, their fear only fueled his weapon to taunt them further with its maddening screech.

The man who had picked up the can would be the first one judged. His eyes widened when a skeletal arm stretched from beneath the rags, but as it reached him, he felt the warmth of flesh. In the blink of an eye, the hooded figure in front of them had disappeared along with the tendrils around them.

"You _dare_ touch her? Pathetic lump of flesh! I shall drag your soul to the gates of Hell, myself!" Byakuya grabbed his throat, almost crushing it as he smashed him into the wall.

Before he could even think of answering, the angel placed one hand on the back of his head and the other on his jaw, snapping the man's neck in the next second.

"Kenzo!" the end of the scene brought his two remaining accomplices back to their senses.

"You- You killed my brother! Motherfucker!"

Byakuya felt a sting as one of the two charged in, stabbing him from behind. It only took a thought's effort for some of the tendrils that formed his wings to erupt from his back, piercing the mortal's body. His muscles still twitched when Byakuya discarded him like a rag.

"Oh shit… SHIT! What the hell are you?" the angel's third victim tried to crawl away.

_Kill him!_

Byakuya felt his anger flare to even higher levels.

_Yes… yes… give in. He deserves it!_

The concrete beneath his feet started cracking.

_Kill him… Kill him now! He harmed the one you love!_

With a snap of his fingers, the last man's body exploded, painting the alley with blood and remains.

_Excelent… Excelent work, brother. _

Excruciating pain took hold of Byakuya's body.

_No… don't fight it! Let it take control! Relish in it… for it is true power!_

The pain traveled to his wings as he saw one of the tendrils turn dark. Claws started growing from his finger tips and his eyes blackened.

"W-what is this?"

_Accept the dark gifts that hate bestows upon you! Love is for the weak!_

"Love…"

An image of Rukia flashed in his mind, making the pain disappear immediately and the voice in his mind fade.

"Ru-kia…"

[…]

She opened the door to the apartment just as he appeared behind it and without a word rushed to embrace him, her eyes pouring rivers of tears down her cheeks. It was the only place she could feel comforted now… tucked away in his arms.

"It is… alright." He whispered, slowly caressing her head, sensing her sadness overtake his being as well.

Byakuya felt her small hands dig deeper into his clothes as she burrowed her face into his chest, trying to pull him ever closer. For the first time in his existence, he felt it… Helplessness. Punishing the monsters that caused her harm was not enough. She was still sad… still shaking and crying. It wasn't fair. She never hurt anybody. She did not deserve this… yet, she cried. His wings gradually filled the room, then slowly moved to envelop her, healing, taking away the pain and filling her with a sense of tranquility.

"You… are safe now."

After a few minutes, noticing that her trembling had subsided, Byakuya gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

"Please stay… with me, Byakuya…-sama." her voice barely reached him as she distanced herself from his chest only enough to arch her head slightly backwards in order to look at him.

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><p><strong>That is all.<strong>

**Unfortunately I see the story getting less and less readers and reviews, which can only mean that its quality is not acceptable, as I had believed. In truth, I had hoped that with more chapters, it would gather more readers… not the other way around.**

**There is little reason to write, when there are none who read. The stories which I post are vivid within my imagination without me having to write them down.**

**In any case, to those of you who still read it: your opinions on it are welcome, so do not shy away from leaving yours, regardless of its contents.**

**Take care of yourselves.**

**coAtL.**


	7. Author's Note

**Rest of the plot for Heaven's not enough:**

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><p>Byakuya is revealed to be the very first angel God created… the Angel of Death.<p>

By refusing to kill Rukia, during the first chapter, he is sent to the mortal world, instead of being sent to Hell, because God wished to avoid the birth of a second Lucifer. Lucifer was the brightest of angels and the most powerful, other than Death itself. A seraph that fell due to his pride and became the master of Hell, always hateful of his siblings, his Father and most of all humans… He wished to eradicate mankind, but due to the armies of Heaven, he has been kept at bay.

Because of his disobedience, Death was sent to Earth instead of Hell so that he would, at best, be neutral in the war. Should he have been sent directly to Hell, as were the rules, Death would become a part of Hell's armies and therefore shift the balance of power enough for Lucifer to start his war and win it, bringing an end to the mortal world.

Future chapters would have been composed of the moral struggle between good and evil, with Heaven's agents trying to show Byakuya that the world is worth saving, while Lucifer tries ever so hard to corrupt the angel by showing him the bad sides of mortals.

Evidently, Lucifer wins, because… let us face it: the world is not that much of a good place. The final blow through which Byakuya becomes completely corrupt comes when Jezebeth, making use of her powers, steals Rukia's appearance, performing acts that betray their love. Seeing such a thing happen, Byakuya, who viewed Rukia as pure and believed her to be the final thread of hope that mankind can still be good, finally agrees to Lucifer's pleas to erase all life on Earth and give him the souls of every mortal killed. With that amount of power, Lucifer would defeat Heaven's armies and then try to take God's place.

The plan works out perfectly, as Death sits atop his morbid throne within the citadel Lucifer erected for him overnight, and uses his power to bring the end of the world. Earthquakes, floods, violent storms and pestilent diseases start occurring at an alarming rate, which brings Heaven's leaders to agree on the decision of a full assault on the demon guarded citadel, in order to stop Lucifer's plans at all costs.

A battle takes place. Angels kill demons… demons kill angels… but the fight seems fruitless as any agent of Heaven that manages to bypass Hell's defenses and reach Death is killed effortlessly by the now corrupt angel.

With almost all hope lost, Yoruichi and Urahara reveal the truth about everything to Rukia, and she accepts going with them. The two angels believe her to be the only thing left that could sway the Angel of Death from its current path, given that she was the very reason he fell in the first place.

Again, battle ensues, this time for the purpose of diversion, while the three attempt, and succeed to sneak their way to Byakuya … Although he still believes that Rukia betrayed him, he refuses to kill her at Lucifer's request. However, when the lord of Hell tries to kill her, himself, Jezebeth appears, stating the fact that she used Rukia's appearance to betray Byakuya at Lucifer's command. She then proceeds with telling Lucifer that it was her plan all along to overthrow him and rule Hell herself, and by revealing the truth now, she had signed Lucifer's sentence. She laughs at the irony of him being destroyed by one of his creations, just as he wanted to destroy his own Father and take His place. Lucifer charges to kill her, but is blocked by a now enraged Byakuya who wishes nothing more than to end him for daring to soil Rukia's image in such a way.

The Angel of Death fights the host of Hell and while Byakuya manages to defeat Lucifer, the fallen one focuses every last drop of his power into an explosion of cataclysmic proportions which would take the world with him, as he dies. Commanding the others to withdraw, Byakuya stays behind to contain the damage of Lucifer's last card. He succeeds - saving the world - but dies in the process.

When the dust of it all settles, Jezebeth assures the two angels with Rukia that, despite the fact that she wishes to rule Hell, she is not consumed by hate, as Lucifer was and that Hell is enough for her, entering an agreement with Heaven that another attempt at war between the two factions would surely end in the destruction of both, and the mortal world.

[Epilogue]

As time passed by, we are brought back to the world of the living, with humankind slowly, but surely having recovered from the ravages of a war they never even knew happened. The last scene focuses on Rukia, which never managed to move on after Byakuya's demise. During a night, as she sits atop a hill overlooking the city, she is greeted by Urahara. The angel tells her that it is his belief that God not only sent Byakuya into this world, instead of Hell, in order to avoid directly giving Lucifer the weapon he needed, but also because He wished for Byakuya to actually experience the reasons why the world is worth saving… the strongest of them being love; and because Rukia showed him those things, she is in no small part worthy of praise for the continued existence of her kind.

At his words, images of Byakuya flash in her mind and she bursts into tears, but, placing a hand on her shoulder, Urahara smiles and asks for the reason of her sorrow. While Byakuya was an angel and their kind disappear upon death… despite having his powers, he was actually mortal when he died, and since humans are the only creation of God that get a second chance, when his mortal shell was destroyed, Byakuya returned to his true form.

Rukia is shocked at what she hears, but before she can answer, Urahara disappears. Turning her gaze upwards, a smile appears on her features at the sight of a falling star briefly lighting up the night sky on its way from Heaven back to Earth.

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><p><strong>I appreciate all the support readers have given me, but due to matters I am not willing to discuss, my decision is final.<strong>

**The Winged Serpent.**


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